Nathangelo Markelo believes he could join Everton’s first-team next season after speaking to Marcel Brands about his future. The 20-year-old joined Everton from Volendam in 2017 and has made 38 appearances for the u23s.
Markelo, who can operate at right-back, centre-back, left-back, defensive-midfield and central-midfield, may have a bright future after impressing in the reserves.
Brands has seen him play on a number of occasions and called him up for the pre-season training camp as a result. Everton’s Director of Football has even barred Markelo leaving on loan as he wants to keep him around the club in 2019/20.
Markelo told Voetbal International (h/t Liverpool Echo): “(Brands and I) have a chat every now and then. He is a friendly guy and I can always ask him for advice when we have a cup of coffee. He is always an interested spectator when the reserves play.
“He knows exactly what is going on in the club and what players are available. He told me I would be called up for the pre-season training camp with the first team. Some clubs would like to have me on loan, but Mr Brands insisted that was not a good idea yet.”
Everton are short of options at the back this summer. The Toffees need a secondary option to Seamus Coleman after letting Jonjoe Kenny join Schalke 04 on loan and they need another centre-back after Kurt Zouma returned to Chelsea while Phil Jagielka & Ashley Williams were released.
Markelo is very inexperienced at the top level, but he’s clearly developing well enough for Brands to want to keep him as an option for Marco Silva next season. Whether he’ll be promotion to the first-team remains to be seen, but he has a good opportunity to impress at the pre-season training camp.